NonDenominational Secret Santas
by Just Groovy
Summary: **Complete!** To teach the value of giving and receiving, the Cliffhangers are given the assignment of doing a holiday gift exchange. Chaos ensues, naturally. Please R&R!
1. The Drawing

**Non-Denominational Secret Santas**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the Higher Ground characters or locations. The only thing I made up was the plot.

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**Chapter 1: The Drawing **

"So what's Peter's latest torture?" Daisy asked, curling tightly into the warmth of her armchair. She looked around at the assembled Cliffhangers: Ezra, Kat, Auggie, Scott, and Shelby. The latter two sat slightly apart from the rest, engrossed in their own private conversation. 

Ezra, sitting on the floor by Daisy's chair, frowned thoughtfully. "A camp-out. One that lasts multiple days and involves soul-searching and other such horrors." 

"In the snow?" Kat shook her head. "You know Peter's not that cruel. Not even when he's in a bad mood." 

"A hike, then," Ezra amended. "We've done those in the snow before." 

Auggie shrugged. "That's not so bad. Hikes are cool." 

Juliette came bounding in then, dropping down onto the couch beside Auggie. "Hey, guys! Seen Peter or Sophie?" 

"Not yet, Jules," Auggie said. He couldn't help smiling when she came into the room. She had that effect on him. "Give 'em five minutes." 

"You know what this meeting's about?" Ezra asked. 

"No idea," Juliette answered. 

"Our wondering is over," Daisy announced. She gestured at the door. "Here come the voices of authority." 

Sophie and Peter entered together, discussing what sounded like the geometry test the Cliffhangers would take the next day. As they approached the group, Sophie blatantly sat down between Scott and Shelby, effectively separating them. Peter continued to the front of the group. 

"Hey gang, how's it going?" 

"Please don't make us do a hike," Ezra said. "We'll take KP duties for the next week. But it's snowy out there." 

Peter looked slightly confused. "You want KP?" 

"Shut up, E-Z!" Scott hissed, having missed the earlier conversation. "What are you talking about?" 

"Never mind." 

"All right, Cliffhangers," Peter began. Then he paused. "Where's David?" 

"Right here," said the Trackers' counselor, hustling the dark-haired boy over to his own group. She shoved him onto the couch beside Juliette and Auggie. "Stay here, David. _This_ is your group." 

David offered a broad smile. "But there are hotter girls in your group." 

"David…" Sophie nudged him from behind. "That's enough." 

"Sorry," he said, turning around and beaming angelically at her. "You're still the hottest, Soph." 

"David, you want to have a discussion later?" Peter asked. The answer was negative. "Then that's quite enough." 

The Trackers' counselor left and the Cliffhangers returned their attention to Peter. "Okay," he said, starting again. "As you know, the holiday season is upon us." 

"Indeed it is," Daisy said dryly. "I can practically smell the chestnuts roasting on an open fire." 

"That's the Ridge Runners burning dinner," Shelby corrected. David broke into laughter. 

"Come on, guys," Kat said. "Listen up." 

"Thank you, Katherine," Peter said. "If you'd be so kind as to direct your attention here, I'll finish what I'm going to say, and you can have free time for an hour. If not, we can take as long as necessary here before going directly into math class." 

"We'll listen." Juliette hoped to have some free time to hang out with Auggie or do something fun before sitting in a classroom and listening to Sophie explain trigonometry or whatever it was that they were learning. 

"This year, we're going to have a gift exchange," Peter explained. "Every one of you is going to give a gift to one other Cliffhanger, and in turn, each of you will receive a gift from one of your groupmates." 

"Peter, that's a great idea and all," Auggie interrupted. "But if you haven't noticed, we don't really have much of an income here at Horizon. Or opportunities to go shopping." 

"I know, Aug," Peter said. "You'll have to be resourceful. _Make _your gift. Put some time into it. On December twenty-first, before you all leave for your winter vacation, we'll all gather again and exchange presents. When you give your gift, you must give a short explanation of why you chose to do what you did." 

"So this is Secret Santas, isn't it?" Ezra asked. 

"I hate Secret Santas," Shelby muttered. 

"It's just a gift exchange," Sophie replied. "We aren't going to get into any traditional holiday phrasing." 

"Oooh." Daisy feigned excitement. "Non-denominational Secret Santas!" 

"You can think of it that way," Peter said. He pulled several scraps of paper from his pocket and dropped them into a board game's box. Shaking it slightly, he went to Daisy. "Everyone's name is in this box. Draw one, but don't let anyone know whose name you got. It's top secret until the twenty-first. Got it?" 

There were several mumbled yeahs, so Peter held the box out to Daisy. Eyes squeezed shut in an exaggerated show, she drew a scrap of paper and looked at it. 

"Oh goody." 

"No remarks," Sophie said. "Nothing that might give a hint as to the identity of your person." 

Daisy shoved her paper into her pocket as Peter held the box out to Ezra, Auggie, Juliette, David, Kat, Scott, and finally Shelby. 

David, upon drawing his paper, started dancing around the room. Peter caught him long enough to glance at the paper, then warned, "David, be _appropriate_." David grinned. 

Shelby glanced at Scott. He glanced up at her and winked. She smiled. Perfect. Maybe Secret Santas—er, non-denominational Secret Santas—would work out for her for the first time this year. 

"What if we don't know what to get the person we have?" Ezra asked worriedly. 

"Think for a while," Peter said. "If you're truly stuck, you can always talk to Sophie or me." He looked around, but nobody seemed to have any more questions. "All right. That's all for now, gang. You can go have your free time, and Sophie'll start math in an hour." 

"Remember that you need to have your gifts ready by the twenty-first!" Sophie called after them. "So free time between now and then might be good time to get some work done on those!" 

The Cliffhangers took off, talking and joking, but Peter was fairly certain that they would not share their slips of paper. He trusted them. When they were alone, Sophie came over to him. 

"Think this'll pan out?" she asked. 

"Yeah," he answered. "They'll learn the value of giving and receiving. Since the recipients are random, they'll have to." 

"You think so?" Sophie raised her eyebrows teasingly. 

"Glad you have so much faith in me." He laughed. "But don't worry. I'll keep an eye on them." 


	2. Daisy Lipenowski

**Non-Denominational Secret Santas**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the Higher Ground characters or locations. The only thing I made up was the plot.

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**Chapter 2: Daisy Lipenowski **

[AUGGIE] 

Daisy was in a bad mood even before she drew the name. The holiday season was never very jolly to her. Moreover, she hated Secret Santas, denominational or not. She hated worrying about getting just the perfect thing for someone, worrying about whether they would like it, worrying about whether she had spent the right amount of time or money on it. This worry only served to worsen her already bad mood. 

She had no idea what to get Auggie. It had to be something at least semi-meaningful if she had to give an explanation of it when she handed it over. Great. Just great. What a perfect thing to eat at her mind. 

Frustrated, she threw down her tarot cards and stood up, wondering where Auggie would be. There was no way she could clear her mind enough to read the cards with the stupid assignment bothering her. She would have to do something. 

Auggie was out on the basketball court playing ball with Scott and a few of the Trackers when Daisy marched up to him purposefully. The ball whizzed around her, just barely missing a collision with her head. Scott caught it and held it as the students looked expectantly at Daisy. 

She looked directly at Auggie. "I'm your Secret Santa." 

"Uh, not so secret anymore, is it?" Auggie raised his eyebrows. 

"What do you want?" 

"Dais, I don't think you're—" 

"What do you want?" she persisted. 

"You're not supp—" 

"Auggie," Daisy interrupted. "It's not a particularly difficult question. I simply asked what you want for Horizon's non-denominational holiday gift exchange. You can probably answer that. It isn't _that _challenging." 

"Can you take care of this later, Morticia?" The old nickname was said lightly, almost teasingly, but it agitated Daisy. 

She spun around to face the speaker. "Butt out, Scott. This is none of your business." 

Scott tossed the basketball to Auggie. "Isn't it?" he asked mockingly. "You're the one butting in. We've got a game going here." 

"Just as soon as Auggie here answers my question, I will leave you to it." 

Auggie dribbled the ball a few times, watching it instead of Daisy. It looked safer. "Daisy, this isn't a—" 

She cut him off again, still addressing Scott. "I don't see how you can play ball with that thing anyway. It's not much of a ball." 

"It's the best ball left," Scott informed her. "They're all flat." 

"With tight funding, basketballs aren't the first thing that Peter worries about," a Tracker added. 

"Go figure," Daisy shot back. She leveled her eyes back on Auggie. "Well? Let me warn you, I hate the holiday season, and I hate Secret Santas. So let's get this over with, or I'll make you underwear." 

Somehow, Auggie didn't think that Juliette would appreciate him wearing underwear made by the resident Goth, so he thought fast. "Uh, how about a basketball pump?" 

"Are you joking?" Daisy demanded. "Where the heck am I supposed to find a basketball pump? And then afford it?" 

Auggie sighed heavily to let her know how much this was putting him out. She didn't seem to care. "How about a basketball then?" 

"A basketball," Daisy repeated, her face contorting into her patented incredulous expression that always made the recipient feel especially stupid. "How am I supposed to find a basketball?" 

"Rubber," Scott said. "Get some rubber, melt it all down, make it into a sphere, and pump some air into it." 

The others laughed. "That was terribly funny, Scott," Daisy said. "Glad you have such a highly developed sense of humor." 

"Can we play?" he asked, gesturing at Auggie and the Trackers. 

"Fine," she replied, frowning and leaving the court. Behind her, she could hear the players laughing and making fun of her. 

How was she going to figure out Auggie's gift? A basketball? Peter said they had to make do with the resources they found at Horizon. But making a basketball? Impossible. The whole assignment was horrible. Daisy frowned again, wishing December twenty-first was already over, wishing that she had not drawn Auggie's name, wishing that she had drawn her own name and could blow the entire assignment off. 

Oh boy, she hated gift exchanges. 


	3. Juliette Waybourne

**Non-Denominational Secret Santas**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the Higher Ground characters or locations. The only thing I made up was the plot.

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**Chapter 3: Juliette Waybourne **

[KAT] 

Juliette knew she had gotten off easy. While she would have liked to have drawn Auggie's name, she was not at all unhappy with Kat's. Kat was a great person, kind, warm, generous, trustworthy. She was the one everyone went to with his or her problems. She was the eldest, the senior Cliffhanger. She was the role model, but she was never resented for her role. 

Why, then, was it so hard for Juliette to come up with one simple gift? Looking around the main lodge and finding no inspiration, she sighed dramatically and flopped back onto the couch. 

Auggie trudged in and caught sight of her, waving and joining her on the couch. "Who do you have?" he asked tiredly. 

Juliette smiled secretively. "I'm not gonna tell you that." 

"Daisy has me," Auggie said bluntly. 

"Don't you mean _you_ have Daisy?" Juliette asked. 

"No." Auggie shook his head. "Daisy has me." 

"I'm not even gonna ask," Juliette said. "And don't you dare think of telling me who you have." 

"Okay," Auggie said agreeably. "_I_ understand the value of keeping secrets." 

Juliette giggled suddenly. "What do you bet she gives you something morbid? Like her roadkill collection or something." 

"She has a _roadkill_ collection?" Auggie looked shocked. 

"Well, not that I know of." Juliette tried to stop giggling. "Wanna help me decide what to get my person?" 

"I think you can do a good job of that yourself, Twig," Auggie said. "You're pretty thoughtful. I'm sure whatever you come up with will be perfect for whoever you have." 

Pleased to have received Auggie's vote of confidence, Juliette stood up with new resolve. "Thanks, Aug. Guess I'll get to work." 

"Good for you. Catch you later, 'kay, Jules?" 

"Yup." Juliette started for the door. Perhaps wandering around in the arts and crafts room would stimulate some kind of creative urges in her. As she reached for the doorknob, she heard voices off to the side. 

Turning, she saw Scott and Shelby huddled together on the wooden stairway. Juliette was pretty sure that the staff members of Horizon would frown upon the way they were cuddled together. 

But Scott and Shelby were oblivious to the world around them. "When you leave here, what're you gonna do?" Shelby was asking, leaning into Scott possessively. 

Juliette's curiosity was piqued, and she hesitated, hand on the doorknob, to hear Scott's response. "Dunno, really. Play college football. If any colleges want me." 

"They'd be dumb not to," Shelby said. 

"I got kicked off the high school team. For drugs, Shelb," he said bitterly. "Somehow, I don't think that any college is gonna look too kindly upon that." 

"You'll get out," she assured him, but then her own voice turned bitter. "You'll get out and start dating all the cheerleaders. You won't want a used car like me hanging around any more." 

"Don't say that." Scott kissed her. "You aren't a used car, and I will always want you hanging around." He kissed her again, holding her tightly. 

"You won't even remember what I look like," Shelby went on, pulling away from his lip lock. "Someone'll say, 'Hey, remember Shelby Merrick?' and you'll look at them blankly and say, 'Oh yeah, Shelby. Didn't she have brown hair and an eating disorder?'" 

Juliette bit her tongue. She wanted to hear how this would end up, but it took all of her willpower not to jump in and defend herself. 

"Shelby…" 

"You won't remember me after we graduate, Scott." She raised her eyebrows, challenging him. "I'll just be another name from your ill-spent past. You know, your pre-college ball past." 

"Shelby, I'll never forget you. We're too much now to forget. You mean too much to me." She looked away, but Scott went on. "I came back for you. Remember? The morp? I came back because I loved you then. And Shelb, I love you now. I'll love you tomorrow, and a year from tomorrow. College ball isn't going to change that." 

Shelby let him kiss her then, and Juliette rolled her eyes, leaving. Trust them to get all mushy like that. She and Auggie weren't half as bad. As she shut the lodge door, Juliette couldn't help smiling. There were some memories to be had in this school; that was for certain. 

Memories. Juliette halted abruptly, an idea coming to her. Kat would be graduating this year. She'd be leaving, moving on. Leaving the memories behind. Juliette grinned and started walking toward the arts and crafts room with renewed vigor. She had just the perfect idea for Kat. 


	4. Shelby Merrick

**Non-Denominational Secret Santas**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the Higher Ground characters or locations. The only thing I made up was the plot.

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**Chapter 4: Shelby Merrick **

[JULIETTE] 

Shelby had never before had a positive experience with Secret Santas. There was that time in fourth grade when Robbie Thomas gave her a rat. A dead rat. Then in eighth grade, Kayla Johnson gave her a pack of peanuts. It wasn't much of a gift to begin with, but worse, Shelby had discovered that she was violently allergic to peanuts that day. But nothing compared to the time in tenth grade when Jake Tyler handed her a condom. She had laughed it off with the rest of the class (except the teacher, who was quite angry), but it had hurt. A lot. 

But this year would be different, Shelby decided. That wink Scott had given her, the way he would just shake his head, grinning mischievously whenever she brought up the assignment. She knew her gift would be something good. Scott knew her like no other person, and this year, Secret Santas would be perfect. For the first time. 

The one disappointment was that she had drawn Juliette's name. How should she know what to get the little princess? Queenie could write home and ask for whatever she wanted, and Shelby had to get her a meaningful gift? 

She wandered out of the girls' dorm, wondering absentmindedly where Scott was. As she passed the kayak barn, she saw Daisy coming out of it, looking perfectly emotionless. Shelby raised a hand in greeting. 

"How's it going?" she asked. 

"I hate Secret Santas," Daisy declared. She shrugged. "I got Auggie, and he's been no help in deciding what I should get him." 

"Is he supposed to be?" Shelby frowned slightly. 

"He _should_ be," Daisy grumbled. "He wants a basketball. How am I supposed to _make_ a basketball?" 

"Good question," Shelby replied. "You'd need some rubber. And some sort of skills. No offense, of course." 

"None taken," Daisy said. "Who do you have?" 

"Queenie," Shelby told her, making a face. "I'm tempted to just give her a jar of ipecac syrup." 

"I don't think Peter, despite his sense of humor, would look too kindly upon that," Daisy commented. 

"Yeah," Shelby agreed, sighing dramatically. "Poor little princess would probably have an emotional breakdown. Set her healing back a few years." 

"Who would what?" Ezra asked, joining them. 

"Do you think Juliette would like a thing of ipecac syrup for Christmas—" Shelby paused to correct herself. "—oh, excuse me—our non-denominational holiday celebration?" 

"That's mean," Ezra said quietly. "You can't take advantage of her problems. Last I checked, you had some of your own." 

"Oooh, sticking up for Queenie?" Shelby raised her eyebrows at him. "Got a new crush, Freakin'?" 

David chose that instant to come bounding into the picture. "Hey girls, lookin' good!" He flung an arm around Daisy's shoulder and nodded to Ezra. "Ezzy, man, can't say the same for you. What's this new crush you have?" 

"I don't—" Ezra began indignantly, but he cut himself off, realizing it would likely be more beneficial to not finish that thought. 

"Hey guys—smile!" Juliette seemed to have materialized beside them, holding a camera to her eye. David made a goofy face, Daisy deadpanned, and Shelby raised her eyebrows again. Ezra avoided the camera. 

Juliette clicked the shutter and jogged off. "Thanks!" 

"What was that all about?" Daisy asked. 

"Trying to cash in on our film monopoly here at Horizon," Ezra joked, trying to distract Daisy from David by reminding her of the film project they had done together a while ago. 

Shrugging, Daisy said, "Whatever floats her happy little sailboat." 

David smirked at Ezra's disappointed expression and gave Daisy's shoulder a squeeze before removing his arm. She ignored him. "I just love the holiday season!" he said joyfully. "Don't you guys?" 

"Awakens a fervor of merriment in me," Shelby said dryly. 

"Every wonderful year," Daisy agreed sarcastically. 

"Humbugs, the both of you," Ezra said. "Christmastime is great." 

"Riiiight." Shelby sighed. "Any ideas on Juliette, though? Since we've ruled out the ipecac thing." 

"Ipecac?" David grinned. He ran off suddenly, but they could hear him laughing. None of them wanted to know what was running through his mind right then. 

"You should make something for her," Ezra suggested. "She'd like that." 

"Yeah, Freakin', she's really gonna appreciate my lack of artistic talent." 

"You know, he's right." Daisy pushed a lock of her dark hair behind an ear as Ezra shot her an grateful look. "Something homemade would probably mean a lot to her. Because she'd know that you spent time on her. That's the kind of thing Juliette likes." 

Shelby shook her head unenthusiastically. "Then I suppose I'd better go haunt the arts and crafts room until inspiration strikes me." 

"Sounds like a plan," Daisy said. "And if either of you figure out how I can make a basketball, let me know." 


	5. Augusto Ciceros

**Non-Denominational Secret Santas**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the Higher Ground characters or locations. The only thing I made up was the plot.

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**Chapter 5: Augusto Ciceros **

[DAVID] 

Auggie had no problem with Secret Santas. Really, he didn't. But he had a problem with David. The other boy was, quite simply, a jerk. And for that reason, Auggie was not finding it easy to figure out what to get for him. 

He thought about it off and on for a day or so, always mindful of the looming due date for the project. But every time he had a minor run in with David, he would have even more trouble deciding on a gift. 

One snowy Wednesday, Auggie awoke to hear a noisy verbal argument between Scott and David, both of whom looked as though they had just gotten up—tousle-haired and pajama-clad. Apparently, from what Auggie could discern, David had put some kind of small woodland animal into Scott's bed in the middle of the night, and Scott had not appreciated it. Auggie groaned tiredly, his mind racing through a litany of practical jokes to which David had subjected his fellow Cliffhangers over the time he had been at Horizon. 

"Cut it out, you guys!" Ezra exclaimed, coming out of the bathroom showered and fully dressed. "I don't think you want Peter coming in here." 

"Yeah," Auggie agreed, sitting up, but not leaving his warm bed. "He don't appreciate fights, especially not in the morning. And I don't think you want to start out the day on KP." 

David made a face at Scott, who maturely made a face back, grabbed his clothes, and retreated to the bathroom. Auggie tried desperately to conjure up enough motivation to get out of bed. It was going to be one of those days. 

At breakfast, the Cliffhangers gathered around their usual table. Auggie watched David carefully pour his glass of orange juice into the container of honey before shoving it back into the middle of the table and starting in on his bowl of oatmeal. Auggie decided to skip the honey that morning. Did David ever quit? 

Sophie came over to their table. "Morning, gang." There were a few mumbled greetings. "I wanted to give you a heads up. We're going to be learning about how to build protective shelters this morning, so wear coats." 

"But it's so cold out there," Juliette whined. 

"Afraid your royal crown will freeze?" Shelby asked. 

"Shut up, Shelby!" Juliette shot her a hurt look. 

"Juliette has a point, you know," Ezra said diplomatically. "It is awfully snowy out there." 

"It's going to be hard to have a hands-on snowstorm survival lesson without snow, Ezra," Sophie replied. "So we aren't going to put this one off. See you all out in front of the main lodge in thirty minutes." 

As she started to walk off, Auggie jumped up and followed her. "Sophie? Can I ask you something?" 

She stopped and turned. "What's on your mind, Auggie?" 

"Secret Santas." 

Back at the table, as Kat was wedging herself between the bickering Shelby and Juliette, Ezra demanded, "What the heck is wrong with this honey?" 

Auggie stifled a laugh, and Sophie looked at the Cliffhangers strangely before turning back to Auggie. "Having trouble deciding what to give to the person you drew?" 

"Weeeell…" Auggie hesitated. He didn't want to give up, but he was feeling kind of stuck. "Does the gift have to be serious?" 

"Serious?" Sophie asked. She thought for a second, obviously running through every potentially hazardous situation that could possibly result from her reply. "No, it doesn't." 

"Really?" 

"Just has to be appropriate, Auggie. Nothing that you wouldn't feel comfortable giving to someone in front of Peter and me." 

"Okay." Auggie nodded. "That makes sense." 

"And it has to be meaningful," she continued. "You have to think about this assignment." 

"So it's gotta be something that means something to him, coming from me?" Auggie asked. He snorted. "That's not the easiest thing." 

"I don't know who you have, Aug," Sophie said. "But I have a pretty good idea now. Stay appropriate, but seriousness is not a necessity. Got it?" 

"Yeah. Thanks Sophie." 

"Anytime," she said, then gestured at the Cliffhangers' table. "You might want to get back to your breakfast. The oatmeal's probably getting cold." As he turned to go back, she added, "And tell David that orange juice and honey are to be kept separate." 

He laughed and returned to the table, wondering, not for the first time, if Sophie Becker didn't have eyes in the back of her head. At any rate, she was incredibly perceptive, and he now had an idea of what to give David. 


	6. Katherine Ann Cabot

**Non-Denominational Secret Santas**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the Higher Ground characters or locations. The only thing I made up was the plot.

* * *

**Chapter 6: Katherine Ann Cabot **

[SCOTT] 

Kat was not particularly comfortable with having drawn Scott's name. She had never really had much to do with him, and had no idea of what would be a meaningful gift for her to give him. 

She kept it in the back of her mind, never thinking about it hard, but never forgetting it either. But as December twenty-first came closer and closer, she knew that she could not put off thinking about it for much longer. Finally, she decided that she would go talk to Peter. He had, after all, promised to help anybody who needed ideas for the assignment. 

She found him in the main lodge, just finishing a game of chess against a Ridge Runner. "Checkmate," the boy was saying. 

"All right," Peter said. "You win this game, but I'll beat you next time." He looked up to see Kat. "Need something, Kate?" 

"Yeah," she said. "Can I talk to you for a second?" 

"Yep," he replied. "Ryan, can you put the chess board away?" 

"Sure thing," the boy said, gathering the pieces together as Peter and Kat retreated to the back of the room. 

"What's on your mind?" Peter asked. 

"I'm really stuck on the Secret Santas thing," Kat said. She bit her lip. "I have no idea what to get my person." 

"Whose name did you draw?" 

"Scott's." 

"Scott's, huh?" Peter repeated thoughtfully. 

Daisy came over at that second, nodding first at Kat, then at Peter. "Hello fellow juvie reject. Hello Peter." 

Kat laughed. "Hey Daisy." 

"I have a request, Peter," Daisy said. "Can I have the tires from your motorcycle?" 

"What for?" Peter asked. "You building something?" 

"No," Daisy answered. "I just need the tires and some smoldering tools. The sooner the better, because I'm running short on time." 

"Well, Dais," Peter began, rubbing his neck. "I don't think that setting tires on fire is something we're gonna condone at Horizon…" 

Daisy sighed. "This is the stupidest assignment you've ever given, Peter." She walked away without another word. 

"Burning tires?" Peter looked questioningly at Kat, who shrugged. 

"Do you have any ideas for Scott?" Kat asked again. 

"You want to know what I think, Kate?" He raised his eyebrows. 

"What?" 

"I think you and Scott have a lot more in common than you think. And I believe you can come up with the perfect idea yourself. Just come up with the things you have in common with him. You two are very similar." 

"But what—" 

They were interrupted again by the flash of a camera. Both turned to see Juliette wave as she ran off. "Where'd you get the camera?" Peter called after her. 

"Sophie loaned it to me!" Juliette yelled back as she left the main lodge. 

"All right," Peter said hesitantly. He looked back to Kat. "Do you see what I'm saying? About the Secret Santas?" 

"Yeah." Kat drew out the single syllable thoughtfully, then smiled. "And it's _non-denominational_ Secret Santas, Peter." 

He laughed. "That's right, pardon me." 

"I still have no idea what to get Scott." 

"Think on it for a while Kat. Don't look at this as a typical assignment. Look at it as an opportunity to say something meaningful to another Cliffhanger." 

"Something meaningful?" 

"Yep," Peter replied. "Think about that, Kate. I know you can come up with something perfect. You're good at this kind of thing. You understand people. That's what causes the other Cliffhangers to respect you so much." 

Kat scoffed. "Respect me?" 

"You're a natural leader, kiddo," said Peter. "It's a good trait." He smiled at her again, and Kat detected pride behind the familiar expression. 

"Thanks, Peter," she said quietly. "I think I can figure something out now. I think I know what to do." 

"Good for you." Peter watched her walk confidently away, and he found comfort in her success. Not just with Secret Santas, but with her own life. Katherine Ann Cabot would be a wonderful asset to the rest of the world. 


	7. Ezra Friedkin

**Non-Denominational Secret Santas**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the Higher Ground characters or locations. The only thing I made up was the plot.

* * *

**Chapter 7: Ezra Friedkin **

[SHELBY] 

Ezra was definitely not pleased with this. The stupid Secret Santa concept, he decided, was designed primarily to ruin his life. The situation was certainly an awkward one. Ezra was no idiot. He knew that Scott was leading Shelby on (for whatever reason), as though _Scott_ were her Secret Santa. But he wasn't. _Ezra _was. 

To make matters a good million times worse, David had Daisy. The dark-haired boy had announced this bit of information offhandedly to Ezra a few nights ago as they stood side-by-side at the sinks, brushing their teeth. 

_"Whaddya think Daisy wants for Christmas?" David had asked nonchalantly. _

_Ezra had nearly shoved his toothbrush down his throat in surprise. _Oh please, no one but David. Don't let David have drawn Daisy's name. _"Erm…" was all he had been able to manage. _

_"I just don't know what she might want," David had continued conversationally, as though Ezra had never gagged on his toothbrush or made unintelligible noises. _

_"I don't know either," Ezra had finally said. "I don't really know." _

_David had grinned wickedly at him, and had tossed his toothbrush down on the counter, wiping his face on a towel and leaving the bathroom. Scott had come in shortly thereafter and had paused by Ezra's sink. _

_"You okay, E-Z?" _

_"Stupid Secret Santas," Ezra had mumbled in response. _

_"Yeah, I know," Scott had agreed ruefully. "I have no freakin' idea what to get my person." He had then cut himself short, glancing at Ezra uncomfortably, and it hadn't taken Ezra long to figure out why. Shelby. Scott didn't know that Ezra knew that he didn't have Shelby, and he was worried that he might have given it away. _

Ezra leaned back in his armchair, looking out at the other students in the main lodge and shook his head slightly. Now it was getting confusing. He wanted to have Daisy, but David had Daisy. Instead, he had Shelby, but Shelby thought that Scott had her, and who knew who Scott really had. 

So Ezra was walking on thin ice. Shelby would be mad that Scott had led her on, Scott would be mad that Ezra had Shelby. David would be a jerk. Ezra himself was already mad that he didn't have Daisy. 

And beside all that, Ezra had no idea what to get Shelby. 

Sighing, he stood up and left the lodge, bumping into David, who was looking pretty happy. Ezra knew why. The Secret Santas had given the other boy a new method of harassing Ezra. 

"Where you goin', Freakin'?" 

"You know, David," Ezra said as calmly as he could. "I'm _really_ not in the mood for this now." 

"What, Secret Santas got you feeling down, man?" 

Ezra had no desire to hear David gloat more, and he knew that the dark-haired boy was trying to rile him up. "Something like that," Ezra replied curtly and sidestepped David, exiting the lodge. 

Without an imminent direction in mind, he walked through the thin layer of snow that coated the ground, shivering a little at the cold. Autumn was much more agreeable. And spring, of course. 

As his thoughts drifted farther and farther from the Secret Santa project and his problem with David, Ezra felt lighter and less worried. But walking aimlessly with his head in the clouds also meant that he was less aware of his immediate surroundings. This was dangerous for a slightly awkward boy, and it was inevitable. Ezra tripped over a snow-covered tree root and tumbled to the earth. 

When he hit the ground, his hands crunching into the snow to break his fall, Ezra had an idea for a gift to give Shelby. 


	8. Scott Barringer

**Non-Denominational Secret Santas**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the Higher Ground characters or locations. The only thing I made up was the plot.

* * *

**Chapter 8: Scott Barringer **

[DAISY] 

Scott wasn't quite sure how he'd dig himself out of this one. This was a disaster. His girlfriend believed that he was her Secret Santa, but in truth, he had her best friend. It was enough to give Scott a headache. However, he worried, when she found out, Shelby would likely give him more than a headache. 

But before he had to face Shelby, he had to figure out what to get Daisy. Black make-up? No, Peter would confiscate it, and he had no idea how to make make-up. Some book about death? No, that would get confiscated, and he would get shuns. 

Scott wandered over to the main lodge. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ezra trip in the snow. Rather than call attention to it, he ignored it entirely. Ezra never appreciated people noticing his clumsy moments. 

In the lodge, Scott found that the Sundogs were having group in one corner, David was in an armchair, reading what looked suspiciously like a _Playboy_ tucked inside a thick Dickens novel, and Auggie and Juliette were talking softly by the fire. 

Slipping behind the piano, Scott fingered the keys. They were so tangent, so solid. Middle C would always be middle C. A G-major chord was always a G-major chord. Scott smiled to himself. The piano lessons from years before had unconsciously given him a method of grounding himself. 

He lifted his hands and laid them lightly against the keys, then he began to play quietly, a slowed-down jazzy piece that always calmed him. 

"Pretty good," came a voice from behind him. He jumped and craned his head to see Shelby. She sat next to him on the bench, her back to the piano, leaning back slightly to face Scott. 

"Hey Shelb." 

Shelby ran a hand down his arm gently. "You know, December twenty-first is coming up." 

_Now I should tell her_, Scott thought to himself. But he couldn't do it. His expression formed into a secretive smile on its own accord, and he said, "Yep, sure is." 

Shelby's face broke into such a real smile that Scott was hit by a strong wave of guilt. He berated himself internally but couldn't bring himself to say anything. This meant so much to her. 

Instead, he was stuck looking at her with a tight grin on his face, a grin that vanished when he was blinded by a sudden flash. Both he and Shelby started and looked up to see Juliette waving a camera at them. 

"Hey, Queenie," Shelby said sweetly, giving the other girl a hard look. "What'd I tell you last time someone saw fit to give you a camera?" 

"I don't know," Juliette said, looking a bit unsure. 

"Out of my face, or you eat it." 

"I don't understand why you always have to act like such a jerk, Shelby." Juliette was obviously offended. "I didn't do anything to you." 

"Let's keep it that way," Shelby told her. Frustrated, Juliette left without another word. Shelby turned back to Scott. "Sorry. I think the whole holiday season kinda gets to me, y'know?" 

"Like Daisy," Scott said. He caught Shelby's hands and interlaced his fingers with hers. "Sure, I get it. It's a little stressful. Going home and all." 

"And Secret Santas." 

"Come on," Scott forced a laugh. "You don't need to worry about that." _Why didn't I tell her? Why _can't_ I? Why am I lying? I'm just making it worse. _

But he saw her face light up again, and he knew why he lied. To make her happy. What a crazy thing love was. After a second, Shelby gave his hand a squeeze and stood up. 

"I'll catch you later, Scott," she said. "Have a few chores to do." 

"Sure," he replied, and she left with a final grin. His expression melted into a scowl, and he put his fingers back on the piano keys and churned out a perfect, albeit forceful, version of Joplin's _The Entertainer_. 

"Pent-up anger?" Daisy's voice. "Watch out, or your folks'll do something crazy. Like send you to a school for rejects." 

"Been there, done that," Scott answered, spinning around on the piano bench to see Daisy standing there, hands on hips, eyebrows raised. "What do you need?" 

"Rubber band." 

"Oh, like I carry those around." Scott rolled his eyes. 

"You never know," Daisy said evenly, turning as if to go. 

Scott sighed and reached into his pocket. "It's your lucky day. I actually do have a few. Don't ask." 

"Wasn't going to," Daisy answered, taking the proffered rubber bands. 

"You're really going to extremes to get rubber." 

"I'm going to have to go to even greater extremes to get smoldering tools," she replied flippantly. 

Scott laughed. "Hey, sorry about giving you a hard time earlier. On the basketball court." 

"You're forgiven." She rolled the rubber band around in her hand. "Nice playing. Too cheery of a tune, but you had a nice edge there. Should fight with Shelby more often." With that, she turned on her heel and left. _Where did she get that idea? Was she teasing? Or did she know something? Teasing. Must have been. _

"We aren't fighting!" he called after her retreating back for good measure. "Not yet, anyway," he added to himself in a near-whisper. _Why did I dig this hole for myself? _


	9. David Ruxton

**Non-Denominational Secret Santas**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the Higher Ground characters or locations. The only thing I made up was the plot.

* * *

**Chapter 9: David Ruxton **

[EZRA] 

David knew from the moment he drew Ezra's name that this would be a wonderfully fun project, and he would enjoy it fully. Such opportunity placed directly into his hands! How could he not make full use of it? 

The first thing he did was begin hinting that he had drawn Daisy's name. Ezra fell right into it, and it was obvious that the little insinuations drove him insane. It provided a source of endless amusement and David grinned now, just thinking about it. He had no idea who actually had Daisy's name, but for now, Ezra was welcome to assume that it was David. 

This new form of harassment, along with all of his old pesky and practical joking habits to keep up on, and the Horizon chores/schoolwork kept David quite busy during the month of December. It wasn't until December twentieth that it really hit him. He had to have a meaningful gift for Ezra by the next day. 

Not panicking, David moseyed on into the arts and crafts room during free time on the twentieth. It was not the most popular place to hang out, and David only saw one other Cliffhanger. Juliette. He wandered over. She was sitting on a stool in the back, papers strewn across the table in front of her. 

"Hey, lover-girl." 

She jumped and hastily covered her project. "Get a life, David." 

Grabbing a stool, he plunked down next to her. "What're you up to?" 

"None of your business." 

"What's all this?" He reached over and tried to uncover the papers, but she snatched them away and held them protectively behind her back. 

"I said it wasn't any of your business." Juliette stood up and backed away, leaving the room. 

"Right!" he called after her. "Fifteen minutes after lights out, on the dock! Got it!" 

Juliette didn't reply, but her pace quickened and the door slammed behind her. David chuckled and surveyed the supplies she had left behind. Scissors, glue, markers, paper, glitter, a hole puncher, and yarn. 

_Well_, David thought. _Here are my supplies. Now all I have to do is make something meaningful for Freakin' out of them._

He was interrupted by the arrival of Sophie. She came into the arts and crafts room and looked around, checking on the students who had chosen this as their free time destination. She caught sight of David and came over. 

"Doing some art, David?" 

"Secret Santas," he mumbled, waving a pair of scissors around to show that he was indeed working on something. Sophie ducked. 

"You know that the gift exchange is tomorrow, right?" Sophie asked. 

"Yep," David replied. "That's why I'm doing this now." 

"We need to work on planning ahead," Sophie said, almost to herself. 

"I _am _planning ahead," David protested. "This is due _tomorrow_, and I'm doing it _today_." 

"All—all right," Sophie said hesitantly. "But remember, David. Be _appropriate_." 

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." He smiled charmingly at her. "Broken record. You and Peter. Appropriate, appropriate, appropriate. When has that even been a problem for me?" 

Sophie gave him a warning look. "I mean it." 

"Sure," he said. "It _is_ appropriate. My gift. It's great. You'll be jealous." 

"Uh huh." Sophie raised her eyebrows. "Group in twenty minutes out by the gazebo." 

"Got it." 

She left, and David played with the glitter container. He had no idea of what gift to give Ezra. He didn't know what would be _both_ great and appropriate, at least, great and appropriate by Peter and Sophie's standards. Sighing, he put his head down and tried to think. 

Ezra liked Daisy. From what David had heard from the other Cliffhangers, before Daisy had come to Horizon, Ezra had liked Shelby. And then there was that new crush Shelby had mentioned in that conversation outside of the kayak barn. And as far as David knew, Ezra had yet to score. 

Delighted, David let out a guffaw that caused all of the other students in the room to look over curiously. Not noticing his spectators, he reached for the supplies. One meaningful gift for Ezra, coming right up! 


	10. The Exchange

**Non-Denominational Secret Santas**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the Higher Ground characters or locations. The only thing I made up was the plot.

* * *

**Chapter 10: The Exchange **

December twenty-first came quickly for some of the Cliffhangers and quite slowly for the others. They gathered in the main lodge after breakfast, forming a circle with folding chairs. Each of them held a brown paper bag, supplied early that morning by Peter. Everyone watched everyone else, but no one spoke. 

After what felt like an eternity of silence, Sophie and Peter entered. Sophie whispered something to Peter, and at his nod, she hung back outside of the circle of chairs, standing behind David. Peter continued into the center. 

"All right, guys," he began. "This is how this is gonna work. When it's your turn to be a giver, you take your gift to the recipient, make eye contact, hand it to them, and say their name and 'I made this for you.' Then you give your rationale behind the gift. And lastly, they will thank you." 

Scott looked a little pale. 

"Any questions?" Peter glanced around the circle. "Okay, then. Scott, you want to start us off?" 

No, he did not. But Scott stood up slowly, covertly thrust a slip of paper into Shelby's hand, and walked over Daisy, who sat on Shelby's other side, ignoring the surprised murmur from the other Cliffhangers. Peter took Scott's vacated chair to watch. 

"Uh, Daisy," Scott said quietly. "I—uh—I made this for you." Shyly, he reached into the paper bag and pulled out a cassette tape, which he handed to her. "It's a music tape I made—playing on the piano. I tried to pick pieces that had a—um—nice edge. Darker-sounding stuff. That I thought you might like." 

"Thank you, Scott." Daisy smiled at him, a real smile. "I appreciate it. Something to play while I'm reading _Mortuary Sciences Monthly_. I like a bit of background music." 

As the exchange occurred, Shelby unfurled the paper Scott had slipped her, feeling a sharp lump in the back of her throat, wondering why he'd lied. Secret Santas was going to be horrible again this year. Sniffing once, she read the note, using one hand to shield it from Peter. 

_Shelby- Please don't be mad at me. I got Daisy's name. I don't know why I did all that stuff to make you think that I had you. I'm sorry. Please don't be mad. I guess I thought that I was making you happy. I wasn't thinking about what would happen at the exchange. Please forgive me. I wish I did have you. Actually, I think I'm glad I didn't get your name. I wouldn't have known what to get you. I don't think there is anything I could have made that would be just right for you. You're beyond material to me. So I'm sorry, and I really hope you can forgive me. Love, Scott _

Shelby looked up from the note, taken aback by the prickly feeling of tears in her eyes. She had been so upset just a second ago. But now…not now. She couldn't be anymore. She understood. 

"Very good, you two," Peter was saying. "Scott, you can take Daisy's seat, and Dais, you can deliver your gift." 

Daisy rose and Scott sat down next to Shelby, nervously peeking at her out of the corner of his eye. She dropped her hand to her side and grasped his fingers in a tight squeeze, never taking her eyes from the action in the center of the room. Everything was all right. 

Daisy strode across the circle and stopped before Auggie. "Auggie, I made this for you." She tossed him the gift. He caught it, looking startled. 

"A rubber band ball?" 

"Yeah," Daisy said. "A rubber band ball. You needed a basketball. This is the best I could do. And, Peter," she added, turning to face him. "Horizon is now completely out of rubber bands. Sophie said I should tell you so you can order more." 

"Um—" Auggie was rolling the ball around in his hands. "Thank you, Daisy. Just what I wanted." 

"I try," she replied. 

Auggie stood up and let Daisy take his seat, walking over to stand in front of David. "David, I made this for you." He handed David the whole bag. 

"Oooh! A present! For me!" David squealed mockingly. He tore at the bag, rather than reaching inside the top. And when he had it open, he found…soap. "Soap?" 

"Yeah," Auggie responded. "Soap. I made it myself—with a little help from one of the counselors." 

"Well, it's a step up from my usual coal," David mused. 

"Auggie, you have some rationale here?" Peter asked, his voice holding a note of warning. He could see where this could become any number of strong insults, all of which he hoped Auggie wasn't about to make. 

"See," Auggie explained. "There was this incident back when David came. 'Member that, David?" 

David grinned suddenly, and Scott grimaced. Shortly after his arrival, David had begun his reign as king of practical joking by filling the boy's bathroom with soapy bubbles and covering the floor with toothpaste, which had gotten both Scott and Auggie upset and had even triggered a fight between Scott and David. Yes, David remembered. 

"Thank you, Auggie," he said cheerfully. "I'll put this to good use." He followed the proclamation with a maniacal laugh that caused Scott and Auggie to groan and Sophie to put a hand lightly on his shoulder in an admonitory gesture. 

Unperturbed, David hopped out of his seat and took the long way around the circle, hesitating by Daisy long enough to cause Ezra to wince, even though Daisy had already received a gift. But then David continued on to Ezra, who now looked confused. David pulled a homemade book out of his paper bag and tossed it at Ezra. 

"What do you say?" Peter prompted. 

David adopted a monotone voice. "Ezra, I made this for you." His tone took on more life as he went into the rationale. "It's a book. Title's _David Ruxton's Guaranteed Pick-Up Lines_. I've used them all, you know. They're classics." 

"Great," Daisy grumbled under her breath. "Just great." 

Ezra flipped through the pages uncertainly. "If you were a booger, I'd pick you first. Excuse me, but you've dropped something—my jaw. I lost my phone number…can I borrow yours?" 

Auggie, Scott, and Shelby were laughing, Daisy had her head in her hands, Juliette was shaking her head amusedly, Kat was trying not to laugh, and Ezra was studying the book. 

"Are they clean?" Peter asked hurriedly. 

"Yeah," David said, grinning. "I'm not stupid, and I don't like shuns." 

Clearing his throat, Ezra said, "Thank you, David." He set the book down and grabbed his bag, letting David take his seat as he went over to Shelby. Scott gave her hand a final squeeze and dropped it as Ezra carefully took a potted plant out of his paper bag and handed it to Shelby. 

"Shelby, I made this for you. Well, kinda, anyway. I made the pot out of clay, but the plant's natural." 

"Yes!" David yelled from across the circle. "We have our own source of marijuana now!" 

"David!" Peter and Sophie exclaimed simultaneously. 

"It's _not_ marijuana," Ezra said. "Doesn't even look like it. It's a fern. A sword fern, the kind you can use to help with stinging nettles." He smiled hopefully. "Could come in handy at this school." 

Looking it over, Shelby asked, "Can I get high off of it?" 

"Shelby, come on." Sophie shook her head. 

"Sorry. Thank you, Ezra." She touched the fern gently. "I'll put it by my bed and try to get stinging nettles on our next hike." 

Ezra seemed content with that, and he took her seat as she stood up and walked slowly over to stand before Juliette. Shelby handed what looked like a stack of papers to the other girl. 

"Juliette, I made this for you," Shelby said stiffly. "It's…a book. With blank pages for you to write or draw in and stuff." 

Juliette's face lit up. "Thank you, Shelby. You made this?" The stack of papers was really a homemade journal, bound together by staples and decorated on the front cover with flowers and the words _Juliette's Journal_ in a loopy, elegant script that no one would have thought Shelby capable of. 

"Yeah," Shelby said, looking almost embarrassed that Juliette was so clearly delighted. "I remembered how you actually enjoyed writing in your journal when you had shuns that one time." She shrugged. "Seemed like a good gift." 

"Thank you so much!" Juliette beamed at Shelby as she got up and, still clutching the journal, went to stand in front of Kat. 

Sophie moved around the outside of the circle to stand behind Shelby. Leaning down next to Shelby, she whispered, "Good job, Shelby. That meant more than you know to Juliette." 

The tips of Shelby's ears turned pink, but she shrugged the compliment off defensively. "Yeah. It was okay." 

"Katherine, I made this for you." Juliette handed her a homemade scrapbook. "It has pictures and things. Because of you graduating and leaving and all—it's to help you remember." 

Kat carefully opened the book to reveal a picture of all of the Cliffhangers on the first page. "Juliette, this is—" 

"Keep going." 

On the next page was a picture of several Cliffhangers. Shelby looked exasperated, Daisy looked serious, David looked silly, and Ezra was only half in the frame—as though he were trying to escape. On the next page was a picture of Peter and Sophie. Then one of Scott and Shelby sitting together at the piano, deep in conversation. Several more pages of various group shots of the Cliffhangers, some staff members, a few of former students, and one photo of Hannah—the Cliffhangers' old counselor with whom Kat had shared a special bond. The final picture was one of Kat and Peter talking. She recognized as the one Juliette had snapped the day she had asked Peter about the Secret Santas project. 

Tears in her eyes, Kat rose from her chair and, setting the scrapbook down on her seat, hugged Juliette. "Thank you, Juliette. This is so wonderful." 

"Sophie helped me go through some files to find your old groupmates, and that picture of Hannah." Juliette smiled. "And I took some of the photos too. Now you can't forget us." 

"I wouldn't," Kat responded quietly. She put her hand on Juliette's shoulder briefly, then picked up her bag and walked over to Scott. "I drew your name, Scott." 

"Oh yeah?" he said, looking slightly unsure. 

"And I had no idea what to get you," she continued. "But then I talked to Peter, and he said that you and I were a lot more alike than I thought. So I thought about it for a long time and realized that he was right. There is something meaningful I can say to you." 

Peter, listening intently, nodded encouragingly to Kat. She smiled at him before turning back to Scott. 

"I've always kind of been the leader of the Cliffhangers," she said steadily. "Sort of a natural leadership thing. But I see those traits in you. You're becoming the leader of the group—you've been becoming the leader since that Eco-Challenge race." Her face grew slightly sad. "When I leave next year, you'll still be here. You'll be the one who whips all these guys into shape. And I wanted to tell you that.' 

She reached into her bag and pulled something small out, hiding it in her hand. "I wanted to give you a symbol of that—of what you are. So you know how important you are to the Cliffhangers." She gently placed her hand on the front of Scott's shirt, just below his shoulder. "Scott, I made this for you." 

When she pulled her hand away, there was a C on Scott's shirt, one that had been carefully cut out of felt and attached with tape. Scott looked down at it, then back at Kat. "I know you're a sports buff," she explained. "It's for 'Captain.'" 

"Thank you, Kat," Scott said quietly. 

She leaned down and hugged him, whispering in his ear, "Take care of them when I'm gone." 

"I will," he replied softly. 

"Thank you all," Peter said, standing up. Kat took his chair as he went back to the middle of the circle. "I'm proud of the way you all handled this assignment. Shows some maturity on your part, and it feels good to get something meaningful from another person, doesn't it?" The students of the group all nodded or mumbled yeahs. "I think that's all, unless anyone has something else to say?" 

"Um, Peter?" 

"Yes, Juliette?" He turned to face her. 

"Can we finish with one of our tribal calls?" 

"Yeah!" David cried. "Tribal call, man!" 

"I don't see why not," Peter said. 

"Could we—" Juliette went on. "Could we say something like 'happy holidays' instead of our regular yelling?" 

"How incredibly corny can we get?" Daisy groused. Juliette's face fell. 

"Hey!" Auggie said sharply in her defense. 

"I like normal screaming," David protested. 

"Let's act like complete losers," Shelby said sarcastically. Beside her, Scott rolled his eyes in agreement. 

"_I _think that's a great idea," Kat announced. 

"I agree," Peter said. "On three, 'happy holidays.' One, two, three…" 

"_Happy holidays_!" hollered the Cliffhangers as everyone else in the main lodge turned to stare. 

Sophie had come over to stand with Peter in the center of the circle, and he took her hand. As the students all yelled, the two looked around at all of the excited faces. Despite their talk, the Cliffhangers were content and happy, and no one was above screaming, "_happy holidays_!" 


End file.
